Dies for applying covering material to the faces of eyelets.



No. 789,694. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

' E. KEMPSHALL.

DIES FOR APPLYING COVERING MATERIAL TO THE PAGES OP EYELETS.

' APPLICATION HLED FEB. 9. 1895. RENEWED AUG. 23, 1902.

NITED STATES Patented May 9, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, OF SHARON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BOSTON FASTCOLOR EYELET COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU- SETTS.

DIES FOR APPLYING COVERING MATERIAL TO THE FACES 0F EYELETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,694, dated May 9,1905.

Application filed February 9, 1895. Renewed August 23, 1902. Serial No.120,856.

To all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that T, ELEAZER KEMPsHALL, of Sharon, county of Norfolk,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Dies forApplying Covering Material to the Faces of Eyelets, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to eyelets for boots, shoes, and other articles,the object of my invention being to provide a novel apparatus forpressing a covering material or substance upon and beneath the faceflanges or lips of the eyelets.

An apparatus embodying my invention contains at least two dies, one ofwhich is adapted to hold the eyelet and the other to press the coveringmaterial thereupon.

One of the novel features of the apparatus embodying my invention is asupport on the eyelet-holding die for the face flange or lip of theeyelet, and over which said face flange or lip projects, to leave aspace beneath and surrounding the edge of the same, into which space thecovering material may be pressed, and thereby perfectly inclose or coversaid flange or lip.

Another feature of an apparatus embodying my invention consists inproviding the pressure-die with a depending portion of a size preferablyto fit the smallest diameter of the eyelet-shank, but leaving asufficient space between the said portion and the wall of the recess inthe eyelet-holding die to receive the shank or body of the eyelet, thepurpose of said depending portion being to enter or, it may be, passthrough the eyelet shank or body and work or wipe the covering materialsmoothly and nicely down to and upon the metal at the interior of theeyelet or its shank or body.

In the drawings, Figure 1, in vertical section, shows a pair of diesconstituting part of an apparatus embodying my invention, the eyeletbeing shown in position, with the covering material indicated in dottedlines above it. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the two series of seatsor supports for eyelet-shanks;

and Figs. 4: and 5, a side elevation and vertical section, respectively,of an eyelet covered by means of the dies shown.

I will firstdescribe one form of apparatus as embodying my invention,and, referring to the drawings, A and B are two dies, which I shallhereinafter designate, respectively, as eyelet-holding and pressuredies.

The eyelet-holding die A is provided with one or more, preferably aseries of, holes a, the tops of which are formed within a separateface-piece a, shown as let into the face of the die A, but, in effect,forming a part of the die A and as such will be hereinafter designated.The face-piece a has one or more holes or recesses a registering withthe holes a in the die A, and surrounding the preferably flaringentrance to the several holes in the face-piece a are the supports a forsustaining the eyelets, said supports elevating the eyelets to leaveclear spaces between their respective face flanges or lips and thesubjacent face of the face-piece a, said supports being herein shown asraised above the surrounding surfaces a, which latter preferablyconstitute the bottoms of as many ring-like or annular depressions orrecesses a concentric with and surrounding the entrance to the saidholes (6 v The pressure-die B is shown as provided with one or moredepending portions 6, for the best results made somewhat tapering orconical at their ends, as shown, there being one depending portion foreach hole a, each depending portion being of a size to fit the smallestdiameter of the eyelet and enough smaller than the surrounding hole ofthe die A to leave an intervening space between it and the dependingportion for the reception of the body or shank of the eyelet, each depending portion at its base being surrounded by a preferably concentricring-like cutting edge or shoulder 1), between which and the base ofsaid portion is the cu p-shaped and annular depression Z2 of a shapecorresponding to thecontour desired for the face of the eyelet whencompleted and covered.

The dies are guided in their movements toward and from each other byusual pins c, which bring the working parts of the dies always in properregistering positions.

In operating the dies the eyelets e, preferably of a shape substantiallyas shown in Fig. 1 and provided at their tops with suitable face flangesor lips e, are placed with their shanks or bodies in the holes a of thedie A with their face-flanges resting upon the su pports (0 the ed es ofthe said flanges, however, projecting over the said supportssufficiently to leave a clear space beneath and around their edgeswithin the depression a.

The covering material, preferably some plastic materialsuch, forexample, as celluloid-and which may be in the form of a strip f, (shownin dotted lines, Figs. 1, 2, and 3,) is

- laid above the flanges of the eyelets in the holding-die A, coveringthe eyelets and the depressions surrounding the same.

Celluloid and others of the so-callcd plastic materials are normally ina relatively hard or stiff condition, they being commonly renderedplastic for the purpose of working or molding by the application ofheat, and for this purpose prior to the filing of this application forpatent it has been my custom to place both dies A and B, the formerfilled with eyelets, upon a steam-heated table until sufficientlyheated, when the covering material f is placed upon the eyelets. Theheated die B is then taken from the steam-table and placed in workingposition, as shown in Fig. 1, and the heat renders the covering materialplastic, enabling the latter to be freely molded by the pressure-die B.As the die B descends its depending portions 6 first act upon theplastic covering material f and easily pass through the same and enterthe eyelets, the ring-like cutting edges 6 acting upon the said plasticcovering material and cutting the same to form as many disks or washersof a diameter substantially that of the depressions a, into which said'disks or washers are forced. The depending portions 6 center orposition the plastic washers, and the cup-shaped depressions 6immediately thereafter press or force the surplus material into thedepressions a surrounding and beneath the edges of the face flanges orlips of the eyelets, thus completely covering or inclosing the same. Theedges Z) cooperate with the edges of the depressions (b in forming theperipheral edges of the disks or washers, and by seating firmly upon thebottoms of the depressions the said edges thereafter operate to formclean peripheral edges to the coverings for the eyelets. The dependingportions 5, which first enterthe shanks of the eyelets in the diesherein Shown, reach the bottom of the smallest diameter of the saidshanks by the time the edges 6 act upon and force the then ring-likecovering material into the depressions of so that the bringing of thetwo dies together causes the plastic covering material to be not onlytightly compressed about the face-flanges of the eyelets, but also bymeans of the depending portions the said covering material is worked ortapered down to the material of the interior of the eyelet shanks orbodies, leaving when the depending portions are removed cleanly-finishededges which in no way obstruct the open center of the eyelet.

I do not herein claim the particular form'of eyelet with the coveringmaterial applied thereto, as the same forms the subject-matter of UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 557,992, granted to me April 7, 1896.

So far as known to me, I am the first to rest the face flange or lip ofthe eyelet upon a support at the entrance to the shank-receiving openingof the die, leaving the said face flange or lip to project over thesupport in order to leave a space around and beneath its edge to besubsequently filled by the plastic covering material, my invention thusproviding for a continuous clenching-lip of covering material turnedinwardly under the face-flange.

I believe that I am also the first to devise an apparatus comprisingmeans for supporting an eyelet with its head exposed and meansforapplying covering material to both sides of the head. I believe,further, that I am the first to employ in such an apparatus means toenter the hole in the flange of an eyelet for applying covering materialwithin the flange of the eyelet or for determining the extent to whichthe covering material shall extend into the interior of the eyelet.

While some features of my invention are limited to devices forcoveringeyelets having central lacing-passages, it should be understood thatother features of the invention may advantageously be employed indevices for applying covering material to lacing-hooks or other similararticles, and therefore the word eyelet wherever occuring in thespecification or claims should when the context permits be construed asincluding eyelets, lacinghooks, and other similar articles.

Having described my invention and without limiting myself as to detail,whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, aneyelet-supporting die having a shank-receivingopening, a ring-likeraised supporting-lip surrounding said opening for and over which theface-flange of the eyelet projects, and a pressure-die to press theplastic covering material upon and beneath the face-flange of theeyelet, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, aneyelet-supporting die having a shank-receiving opening, a surround- IIOing circular depression, a supporting-lip separating said shankreceiving opening from the circular depression forming a ring-likeraised support, and a pressure-die to press the plastic coveringmaterial upon and beneath the face-flange of the eyelet at the outsideof the said support, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, aneyelet-supporting die having a shank-receiving opening, a ring-likeraised support surrounding the same, and a circular depression outsidesaid support, and a combined cutting and pressure die to sever theplastic covering material and press the same into the said depressionsurrounding the said ring-like support and the projecting flangethereupon, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, aneyelet-supporting die having a shank-receiving opening to receive atapering eyelet-shank, a depression surrounding said opening, a raisedsupport for and over which the flange of the eyelet projects, saidsupport separating the opening from the said depression, and apressure-die provided with a depending portion of a size to fit thesmallest diameter of the eyelet, and a ring-like depression at the baseof the said depending portion to press the covering material upon andabout the face-flange of the eyelet, and between the depending portionand the tapering shank of the eyelet, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a die forholding an eyelet, said die being provided with an opening to receivethe shank of the eyelet and with means for sustaining the eyelet withits flange out of contact with the subjacent face of the die, wherebycovering material may be forced between said flange and the die.

6. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a die forholding an eyelet, said die being provided with an opening to receivethe shank of the eyelet and a support extending above the adjacentsurface of the die for supporting the flange of the eyelet to permit thecovering material to be forced under said flange.

7. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a die forholding an eyelet, said die being provided with an opening to receivethe shank of an eyelet and with means for supporting said eyelet withits flange out of contact with the subjacent face of the die, incombination with means for forcing covering material between said flangeand the die.

8. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a die forholding an eyelet, said die being provided with an opening to receivethe shank of the eyelet, the wall of said opening having a supportextending above the surrounding face of the die, whereby to hold theflange of the eyelet out of contact with said face of the die to permitcovering material to be secured to the under side of the flange.

9. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a die forholding an eyelet, said die being providedwith an opening to receive theshank of the eyelet, and means extending above the adjacent surface ofthe die for supporting the flange of the eyelet to permit coveringmaterial to be forced under said flange, and a cooperating die having adepending portion fitting the lower end of the tubular shank of theeyelet but smaller than the upper part of said shank, and a facesurrounding said depending portionand adapted to force the coveringmaterial between the depending portion and the shank of the eyelet andalso around and under the flange of the eyelet.

10. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a die forholding an eyelet, said die being provided with an opening to receivethe shank of the eyelet and with means for supporting the flange of theeyelet out of contact with the subjacent face of the die, in combinationwith a die to press the covering material about and under the flange ofthe eyelet, said dies being adapted to receive between them a strip ofcovering material, and having cooperating cutting portions to sever fromthe strip the portion of the material to be used.

11. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a diehaving an opening, in combination with a second die having a dependingprojection concentric with the opening in the first-mentioned die and ofsuch size as to leave a space around said projection for the shank ofthe eyelet when the dies are closed, a concavity around the base of theprojection, and an annular rim surrounding said concavity. 12. In anapparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a male die having adepending projection and a cylindrical shoulder surrounding andconcentric with said projection, in combination with a female die havinga chamber to receive the depending projection and larger than thegreatest diameter thereof, and a recess around the mouth of said chamberto receive and fit the cylindrical part of the male die.

13. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a diehaving an opening to receive the shank of an eyelet and provided with amolding-face surrounding said opening, in combination with a second diehaving a depending portion to enter the shank of the eyelet, and arecess surrounding said depending portion for molding the top face ofthe eyelet.

14. An apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, comprisingmeans for supporting an eyelet with its flange exposed, means to enterthe hole in the flange of the eyelet and means for applying coveringmaterial to said flange.

15. Mechanism for applying covering material to eyelets, comprisingmeans for supporting an eyelet with its head exposed, a plunger to enterthe hole in the flange of the eyelet, and means for forcing the coveringmaterial on both sides of the head of the eyelet.

16. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets havingcentral lacing-passages, means for supporting an eyelet with its flangeexposed, and means for forcing covering material on the top of theflange and under the flange, said means being constructed and arrangedto provide a lacing-passage in the covering material in alinement withthe lacing-passage in the eyelet.

17 The combination with means for supporting an eyelet with its flangeexposed, of mechanism for forcing covering material on the flange of theeyelet, comprising means to enter the hole in the flange of the eyeletfor applying the material to the inside of the flange, means forapplying covering material to the top of the flange, and means forforcing the covering material into contact with the under side of theflange.

18. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, a diehaving an opening to receive the shank of an eyelet and having amolding-face, in combination with a cooperating die provided with adepending portion which is less in diameter than the diameter of saidshank-receiving opening whereby a space is left for the shank of theeyelet when the dies are closed together, and also provided with anannular depression at the base of the depending portion for pressing thecovering material upon and about the flange of the eyelet, said diescooperating to force the covering material under the flange of theeyelet.

19. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, means forsupporting an eyelet, and means for molding the covering material uponthe flange of the eyelet and down into the shank of the eyelet, saidmeans being constructed and arranged toprovide a lacing-passage in saidmaterial.

20. In an apparatus for applying covering material to eyelets, means forsupporting an eyelet with'its' flange exposed, and a combined cuttingand pressure die for severing the covering material and molding the sameupon and under the flange of the eyelet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.

Witnesses:

JOHN G. EDWARDS, EMMA J. BENNETT.

